<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>smile by MantisInnit</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/30055119">smile</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/MantisInnit/pseuds/MantisInnit'>MantisInnit</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>we go down together [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Dream SMP - Fandom, Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>But also, Clay | Dream Angst (Video Blogging RPF), Emotional Manipulation, Gen, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Manipulation, Manipulative Wilbur Soot, Mutually Assured Destruction AU, Post-Prison, Protective Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF), Sympathetic Clay | Dream (Video Blogging RPF), Unhealthy Relationships, Villain Clay | Dream (Video Blogging RPF), Villain Wilbur Soot, kinda??? ish, the protective sapnap honestly isnt all that big and it goes away pretty fast</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 10:48:44</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,057</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/30055119</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/MantisInnit/pseuds/MantisInnit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>It was the smile. Dream’s normal smile was fun, easy. It felt like family. </p><p>This smile was freakish. It looked wrong, settled dumbly across Dream’s face in a way that didn't look natural.</p><p>--</p><p>or, Sapnap sees Dream for the first time since he's gotten out of prison.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Clay | Dream &amp; Sapnap &amp; Wilbur Soot, Clay | Dream &amp; Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream &amp; Wilbur Soot, Sapnap &amp; Wilbur Soot</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>we go down together [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2287406</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>276</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>smile</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/noxstories/gifts">arcadianwriter (noxstories)</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>inspired by the mutual destruction au. sort of. it mixed with an idea i already had. if the amazing creator of the original au reads this... pog. hope you enjoy or somethin</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The last time Sapnap had seen Dream, he’d been silent in the prison, staring from where he was slouched in a corner, writing all of his responses in shaky handwriting. The only word that left his mouth was cracked and broken, painful and weak in a way Sapnap had never heard Dream before.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That time left his mind reeling for days, wondering why Dream was on strike, why there was blood stuck underneath his fingernails, why he was so terribly skinny, why thick cracks had bloomed at the edge of his mask, why his voice sounded so horribly destroyed. Sapnap had pushed that mind as far out of his mind as he could, ignoring the implications any of it displayed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sapnap thought this might be worse.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dream stood a few steps behind Wilbur, lack of a mask revealing dark eyes and a dull, unsettling smile spread over his face. He was wearing his usual heavy netherite, green hoodie peeking out from through the seams, arms crossed over his chest, and axe strapped to his back. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He looked familiar, almost. It took Sapnap a little while to figure out what was wrong with the picture, past the strange feeling of being able to see Dream’s face so openly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was the smile. Dream’s normal smile was fun, easy. It felt like family, and Sapnap missed it quite a bit over the months where his friend was in the prison. Sure, Dream wore his mask quite often, but he used to take it off around his friends. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>This smile was freakish. It looked wrong, settled dumbly across Dream’s face in a way that somehow looked so different from his normal smile. It didn’t look natural, and it didn’t look like it belonged on Dream’s face. It looked like someone had forced it to be there, like someone had made him smile or convinced him to. It looked like someone had convinced him that he still had something to smile for.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sapnap’s eyes moved to Wilbur, and a sickening thought curled around his mind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wilbur was still talking, giving some kind of long monologue about him and Dream and the ‘story’ of the SMP. He’d been talking about it for a while; Sapnap thought it was stupid. Nobody here was an assigned villain or an assigned hero, nobody here caused all of one thing. He and Tommy and Dream had all caused wars, all caused problems. None of them were the problem or the solution, and the pretentious bastard needed to pull his head out of his ass and realize that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But Dream was nodding along like Wilbur knew every goddamn thing, like Wilbur was spilling the truth that only those two could see. It was scary, how readily he seemed to agree with the taller brunette. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Something about the fervent way he agreed made him seem even more different. Where he used to carry himself above everyone else, clearly marking his opinions and what he did, making a statement with everything action, presence commanding and strong, he now seemed... </span>
  <em>
    <span>small</span>
  </em>
  <span>. It was disturbing, and Sapnap didn’t like it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finally, Wilbur seemed to be finishing. He gave some last showy warning and turned around, waving his hand at Dream in some offhanded gesture Sapnap didn’t understand. He did notice that Dream seemed to be going with the other and strode forward, grabbing Dream’s wrist tightly before he could walk away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The smile dropped off of Dream’s face immediately, and he jerked his hand out of Sapnap’s grasp, a snarl twisting his features. He relaxed ever so slightly when he realized who it was, but kept up a steady glare. He turned to walk after Wilbur once again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hold- fuck, Dream, hold on!” Sapnap spat. Both Wilbur and Dream stopped, Dream tilting his head back at Sapnap before his gaze flicked to Wilbur. Wilbur shrugged, and Dream seemed to take it as permission of some kind. Their positions changed, Dream standing a few steps in front of Wilbur while the taller stood menacingly behind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What is it, Sapnap?” Dream’s voice sounded unnaturally formal. He said Sapnap’s name the same way Wilbur did. It made the arsonist’s stomach turn unpleasantly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re... why are you working with him? Don’t you usually have some elaborate plan that benefits you? How the fuck is he helping you at all?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dream seemed to almost hesitate for a moment. “What? No, I’m... He got me out of the prison. He’s my... we’re friends. He helps me, I help him. We’re friends.” The way Dream said it multiple times like it has to be confirmed made Sapnap feel sick. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So you’re not getting </span>
  <em>
    <span>anything </span>
  </em>
  <span>out of it? That’s not how you work, though. That’s just... not something you do.” Sapnap frowned, crossing his arms and shooting a confused glare at his former friend.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>An easy chuckle slipped out from behind Dream and Wilbur took a few steps forward, settling a hand on Dream’s shoulder. Sapnap noted the way Dream shuddered at the feeling of the hand dropping down. “Come on now, Sapnap. Just because your friendship wasn’t good enough for him doesn’t mean mine isn’t.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Anger boiled up within him, hot and powerful and burning. He was perfectly fine, he was a </span>
  <em>
    <span>good goddamn friend, </span>
  </em>
  <span>but Dream had decided that normal friendship didn’t fulfill his needs well enough. “Oh, fuck you! I was just fine, Dream was the fucking problem!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>For some reason, his words make Wilbur’s grin widen further, fingers curling almost imperceptibly tighter on Dream’s shoulder. Sapnap doesn’t like it, doesn’t like not understanding Wilbur’s glee. It bothers him, how easily Wilbur can step ahead of anyone else. Dream was one of the few who could keep up, and now here he is, practically worshipping the fucking prick. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Right, right. Tell yourself what you will. Dream and I are friends, and our relationship is mutually beneficial. We’re working together. Now, if you’ll excuse us, I think we have places to be. Things to do, plans to complete... you’d understand.” The grin stretching over Wilbur’s features grew predatory, cruel.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The hand on Dream’s shoulder was actively digging into flesh now, but Dream didn’t seem to mind. In fact, he seemed to think the touch was reassuring, leaning into it like it was something good.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sapnap watched them walk away, and the venom in his mind sank deeper.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>uhh yeah idk lmao</p><p>kinda stupid but i liked it</p><p>kudos + comments give me validation</p><p>also i just really like the idea that dream is gonna be open to manipulation after the prison because he's completely starved for anyone helping him or being kind to him so like,, even if he's aware that it's bad, he's willing.<br/>i didn't touch as much on the 'aware of what's happening' part, but i might.</p><p>also, if you enjoy sympathetic dream and/or dream angst, might want to stick around, i have several oneshots in the works.</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>